If wood damage is observed, which caste is responsible for causing it?

In the context of wood damage, it is primarily the worker caste that is responsible for causing it. Workers are tasked with foraging for food, building and maintaining the nest, and most importantly, they are involved in the actual consumption of wood. This occurs especially in wood-destroying insects such as termites, where the workers consume the cellulose in the wood, leading to significant structural damage.

The soldier caste, while it plays a crucial role in defense, does not partake in feeding or wood damage; its function is to protect the colony. The primary reproductives, which include the queen and king, focus on reproduction and do not engage in wood consumption. Supplementary reproductives serve a role similar to primary reproductives but are also not involved in causing wood damage.

Thus, the worker caste’s actions in feeding and nest-building directly relate to the observation of wood damage, highlighting their critical role in this context.